Norwich delight at Van Wolfswinkel deal

Norwich have struck a deal to sign Sporting Lisbon striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel in the summer for a fee which could be as much as £8.5 million.

The Canaries almost signed Van Wolfswinkel in January, but have now landed their man on a four-year contract. He will arrive at Carrow Road on July 1.

"Ricky's profile is a perfect fit for us - he's young, ambitious and a proven goal-scorer," Norwich boss Chris Hughton told the club's official website.

"He has an excellent goalscoring pedigree and he's a young man very keen to continue his personal progression and to play in England. He's already an exciting talent but he still has more development as a player ahead of him.

"I'm delighted we've been able to agree a deal with Sporting Lisbon and with Ricky and we look forward to welcoming him to the squad in July, once all of the paperwork gets sorted out."

Van Wolfswinkel, 24, rose to prominence in the Dutch league with Utrecht and Vitesse, and has scored 20 league goals in 41 appearances for Lisbon since he arrived in the summer of 2011.

The highly-rated striker was linked with Manchester United last summer, but Norwich have stolen a march on their rivals to seal his signature.